Chapter 5: The Judgement
For a whole year I just explored the city, watching the people. At night I hid under the windows of families and listened to their stories and their lullabies as they sing their children to sleep. By the year's end I had explored every part of the city...except the part that lied behind the palace gates. The walls were extremely large and there were guards all around the inside. It didn't take long during my second year in the city to finally become curious enough to explore a way into the outter palace...
Juliana stood at the huge doors that opened into the area that surrounded the actual palace. She looked all around for a way inside but saw none. There was no way she could climb the walls either. If she should fall, it would surely crush her. At that thought, she shook it away, remembering her mother. She sighed and started her walk around the wall. After about a half hour, she finally gave up and sat against a bunch of boxes and crates that were rested against the wall.
'Now what...?I have to get in there...' She sighed again and leaned back, then stood back up feeling cool air. "Hmm?" She moved the boxes and found a large hole in the wall. Finally a way in! She kneeled down and crawled into the hole. She moved away some boxes that blocked off the hole from the other side and peeked out. She almost fell right over at what she saw. Large buildings everywhere, some made of gold, some of regular materials. The area was much more spread out than the city itself and everything looked so clean and peaceful. She stood and began to slowly walk around, looking at everything. Just amazing. She heard voices behind her and quickly hid. She looked back and saw a boy at the entrance she had taken.
The boy stared at the hole for a few minutes, and then quickly looked around. He replaced the boxes then ran off.
He must've been the one who created that hole in the wall. He seemed different from the other children she had seen in the city. He wore different clothing, and he even had a certain level of magical energy, as Juliana sensed. She shrugged and went walking again. After walking all around the area, she stood near the palace itself a sunset. It was time she went inside. She looked at the two guards that stood at the entrance and slowly snuck by them, walking in the shadows. The inside of the palace was as amazing as it was on the outside. Juliana walked down the great hallway completely amazed. She stopped when she heard footsteps heading toward her. Looking around, she found a nearby room and ran into it, hiding behind the wall. She stood, not even breathing, until the guards had passed.
Juliana sighed and looked about the room she had entered. It was a library! Books and scrolls everywhere! She walked over to a shelf and took out a book. Reading the book, she sat at a table.
Now, you would think that a regular Egyptian girl at age 6 wouldn't be able to read a simple sign, much less a book. But by that time I could read extremely well. I spent a lot of time in that library. After a few months, the palace become noticeable of my prescence only because when I heard people coming, I hid without replacing the book or scroll I had been reading. I was too clever and too small though for them to find me right away. But you know how it is...when a child becomes TOO confident, the child gets in trouble...
Juliana, now 7 years of age, sat at the table reading a large scroll. She was so absorbed in her reading, she didn't hear the guards coming up behind her. Finally, as soon as they were right behind her, she sensed them and quickly turned around.
"Now what do we have here?" a guard said.
"Looks like we have a little theif." said another.
"Don't even try to run. We have you surrounded." another of the guards said.
Despite what they said, Juliana jump up on the table, then jumped right over the guards. She ran for the door and slid under a group of guards that were coming from the hallway. She ran down the hallway as the guards followed.
"Get her! She can't get far!" yelled a guard. But she did get far. She led the guards almost out of the palace when she suddenly floated up into the sky. Juliana struggled to get down when a man in a white cloak walked over carrying a long rod with the Senri eye at the front.
"What is going on here? The Pharaoh demands to know what all the commotion is about!" he said.
"P-Priest Secrnenton...this girl has been in the royal library...she has defiled all of the ancient scrolls and books!"
"Is that so?" the priest looked up at Juliana, who still struggled, then to the head guard. "And how long have you let this slip by?"
The guard looked away, hesitating. "About..a...a year, my lord."
"I see...well. Take the girl to see the Pharaoh and she will be given judgement."With that, he turned and began walking down the hallway.
The guards grabbed Juliana from the sky and pulled her down. She struggled to get away but they held her tightly, dragging her to where the priest was going. She was being taken to see the Pharaoh for judgement...she didn't know whether to be excited or frightened. Soon they entered an extremely large room. Juliana looked around. Guards around the entire room. There was no way she could run now. She looked ahead and saw five other priests, and on top of a platform, the Pharaoh himself. The priest that had been leading them stood with the other priests.
"State your business," said the Pharaoh.
"Bow, urchin!" said a guard. He pushed Juliana to her knees and she glared up at him. The guard bowed to the Pharaoh. "My Pharaoh, this theif has been seen around your palace. She has been charged with defiling the ancient scrolls and books in the royal library, and of theivery in the markets."
"Very well. The judgement shall commence! Priest Siamun, would you begin by looking into this child's heart?" the Pharaoh said.
A fairly short man in purple and white Egyptian robes stepped forward. All you could see was his eyes behind his large hat and the cloth around his mouth. He held up a golden item that seemed to be a key and an ankh put together. "Yes my Pharaoh. Millennium Key! Lead me into the soul of this theif!" The Key began to glow brightly and the priest closed his eyes. Juliana closed her own eyes the minute the item began to glow. After a few minutes, the glowing stopped and the priest looked at the Pharaoh.
"Well?" the Pharaoh asked.
"Your majesty, in all my years in judgeing sinners so far, I have never seen a soul such as this. For one so small and young, her soul is a strong one." said the priest.
"And her ka?"
"That of a good spirit, my pharaoh. She is not a sinner."
Juliana looked up. What were they talking about? She did not understand. The Pharaoh looked at her, then nodded. "Priest Atenza."
Another priest walked foward, this one carrying a large golden scale. He held it toward Juliana and it began to glow as well. "I am unable to measure her soul, my pharaoh. It seems it is an equal amount of evil and good."
"I sense much fear and anger in this girl's soul though...perhaps it would be wise to look into her past." Said another priest. This one carried nothing, but had a strange senri eye where his left eye should be.
"I agree, Priest Akunadin. Priestess Sehka, use the powers of your Millennium Necklace to see inside her past please."
The priestess nodded and closed her eyes. The necklace around her neck began to glow, as well as Priest Akunadin's eye. Juliana could feel that one of them were inside her mind. At the same moment, both of the items stopped glowing. The priestess walked up to the Pharaoh and began to whisper in his ear. Juliana looked over at Priest Akunadin, who seemed to be glaring at her. What had she done?
The Pharaoh's eyes widened and the priestess stepped down. "Girl, state your name." he said.
She only stayed silent. One of the guards growled and kicked her. "The Pharaoh gave you an order!"
"Stop! That is not necessary!" The Pharaoh shouted. "Leave now." The guards looked at each other, bowed then walked out, leaving Juliana alone in the middle of the room. "Now please, state your name."
"My name...is...Juliana," she said. She stared at the ground, still a bit afraid.
"Well, Juliana, please step foward so I can see you better."
"Pharaoh Akunumkanon! Is that a wise thing to do!" Akunadin said suddenly. The Pharaoh quickly looked at him.
"Nonsense, Akunadin. You know as well as I do now..." He looked back at Juliana. "Come."
Juliana slowly stood up and just as slowly walked forward until she was evenly placed with the priests. She looked up at the Pharaoh as he stood up and also walked forward. He stopped infront of her. He knelt down and looked straight into her eyes, smiling. "Don't worry, Juliana. This will be your home now."
All of the priests quickly looked over, shocked, as did Juliana. Priest Akunadin ran up behind her. "My Pharaoh, I must argue this decision! She is just a commoner! To allow someone like her to live in the palace would be a disgrace!"
"Oh please..." Akunumkanon stood and glared at Akuandin. "And you should have better respect for the daughter of Priest Zuberi and Priestess Safiya."
The other priests' eyes widened even more. "Priest Zuberi and Priestess Safiya! This is their lost daughter!" said a priest that had a strange ring around his neck, with strange pointers all around it.
"That's right." He put a hand on Juliana's shoulder. "Come and I'll show you your new room." He began walking and Juliana followed, leaving the priests whispering to themselves.